Braid: A woven metallic or fiber
layer applied over wire or cable to act as a protective barrier or
shielding.

Brittle Temperature: The temperature below which a material
becomes brittle, often measured by a cold impact test.

Chemical Resistance: The ability of
the insulation to withstand the presence of materials - such as
acids, bases, water, salt water, and fuels - that can deteriorate
an insulation.

Cold Blend: A test conducted by rapping tubing around a
mandrel or by bending it in an arc while at a low temperature.

Conduit: A tubular raceway for holding wires or cables.

Continuity: A continuous path for the flow of current in. an
electrical circuit.

Continuous Operating Temperature: Maximum temperature at
which a component will maintain an acceptable lifetime performance,
based on accelerated aging prediction.

Crosslinking: The formulation of bonds between molecular
chains in a polymer by means of chemical canalization or electron
bombardment. The properties of the resulting thermosetting material
are usually improved.

Crosslinking by Irradiation: A method of crosslinking
polymers that makes a nonflowing material. This generally improves
the properties of the polymer.

CSA (Canadian Standards Association): An agency that has
developed standard specifications for products with particular
emphasis on safety in the end use.

Dielectric Strength: The maximum
voltage a dielectric can withstand without rupture. Usually
expressed as volts per mil.

Elastic Memory: The ability of a
crosslinked polymer to be deformed to some predetermined shape,
hold that shape for a period, and then return to its original shape
upon application of heat.

Elastomer: A material that exhibits very low or zero
crystallinity and a high degree of flexibility.

Elongation: The ultimate elongation, or elongation at
rupture. Expressed as a percentage of the original strength

Encapsulation: Covering and sealing.

Environmentally Sealed: Description of a system to keep out
moisture, dirt, air, or dust that might reduce performance.

Extrusion: A process that conveys plastic insulation
material, generally via a screw, through forming dies and
subsequently cools the insulation material to form a predetermined
shape.

Flame-Resistant: A descriptor
applied to material that is inherently resistant to burning.

Flame Retardant: A descriptor applied to material that has
been made or treated so as to resist burning.

Fluoropolymer: A polymer that contains atoms of fluorine.

Fluoroelastomer: Common trade name Viton®.

Gauge: A term used to denote the
physical size of the wire.

Hardness: A general term that
correlates with strength, rigidity, and resistance to abrasion or
penetration. Measured on Shore or Rockwell scales.

Heat-shrinkable: A polymeric material capable of being
reduced in size when exposed to heat.

I.D.: The internal diameter of a
tubing.

Insulated Terminal: A solderless terminal with an insulated
sleeve over the barrel to prevent a short circuit in certain
installations.

Irradiation: In insulations, the exposure of the material to
high-energy emissions for the purpose of favorably altering the
molecular structure via crosslinking.

Kynar: Trade name (of Elf Atochem
North America) for polyvinylidene fluoride and its copolymers.

Lacing Cord or Twine: Used for
lacing and tying cable forms, hookup wires, cable end, cable
bundles, and wire harness assemblies. Available in various
materials and impregnates.

Longitudinal Change ( Shrink Tubing): The change in length
of tubing when recovered. Expressed in the percent change from the
original length.

Lot Number: The number that identifies one production run of
material.

Marking: A printed identification
number or symbol applied to the surface of tubing.

Melting Point: The temperature at which crystallinity
disappears when crystalline material is heated.

Mil: A unit equal to one one-thousandth of an inch
(.001").

MIL-SPEC: Abbreviation for Military Specification, which is
a now obsoleted document that the U.S. Government issues to define
a product that will be used in military end-use applications.
These documents have been replaced by SAE AMS specifications.

Nominal: A descriptor applied to a
dimension representing the center of the range of tolerance or a
value if no tolerance is applied.

Operating Temperature: The maximum internal temperature at
which a system, harness, or connector may operate in continuous
service, generally expressed as a time and temperature.

Plasticizer: A softener or lubricant
added to a compound that makes it easier to process or more
flexible in use.

Plating: The overlaying of a thin coating of metal on
metallic components to improve conductivity, facilitate soldering,
or preventing corrosion.

Polyamide: A polymer formed by the reaction of a diamine and
a diacid. Nylons are commercial polyamides characterized by
toughness, solvent resistance, and sharp melting point.

Polyolefin: A family of polymers (such as polyethylene and
polypropylene) made from olefin monomers.

PVC: (Polyvinyl Chloride): A polymer compound used as wire
insulation.

PVDF: Polyvinylidene fluoride.

Rated Temperature: The maximum
temperature at which a component can operate for extended periods
with acceptable changes in its basic properties.

Rated Voltage: The maximum voltage at which a component can
operate for extended periods without undue degradation.

Recovered ID: In heat-shrink tubing the guaranteed maximum
internal diameter of tubing after being freely recovered.

SAE International: SAE International
is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related
technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and
commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International owns and
defines the now obsolete Mil-Spec specifications.

Sealant: Soft, tacky, pliable material that seals where
mechanical strength is not required.

Shelf Life: Generally, the length of time a product or
material may be stored without deterioration. Specifically, the
length of time during which shrink tubing will retain its expanded
ID and return to its recovered ID.